Ohmo

To be fair, Guy hypes up all the Iron Chefs. However, none of them have done really well in the competition. Stephanie hasn't, but neither have Cat Cora and Jose Garces. Then Alex comes out as a judge. I like Alex well enough, but Food Network personalities shouldn't get to judge unless they've competed in TOC. Giada was a judge in a past season, and that irked me then, too. With Rocco competing, it made Alex as a judge more glaring to me.

Agreed. The vibes from the husband and son were "off" to me as well. It'd be easier for me to believe Katie, Adam, and Bob were all involved. Bob and Adam just don't seem purely innocent in all of this. Katie could have written the letter to double-cross Adam, but Bob could have typed the order on Katie's typewriter to double-cross Katie. Adam could have done the same with Katie's phone. Katie may be guilty, but I don't think she's the only one who is. Also agreed, and why not bring up the pregnancy angle if Katie did that?

I've watched all previous TOC seasons. I didn't watch this episode---only skimmed through it to see who won. I'm bored and not feeling invested this season. It's lost something for me. I can't contain my eyeroll over hearing Stephanie Izard is supposedly a fabulous chef, and that brings me to Alex G. After seeing Stephanie lose again, I don't think Alex should judge unless she gets in there and competes like Rocco has done this year. Taking all five champs out of the mix wasn't a great move, in my opinion. Tiffani seemed to want out, and I've liked her a lot in this role. However, taking all five champs out has made TOC feel like no one could beat those women, so the solution was to remove them from the playing field. TOC VI: The Runner-Up Edition. "Hey, we're going to take Tom Brady's Patriots and Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs out of the playoffs so someone else can win the Super Bowl." The New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles actually had to beat those teams. It's Jet, Antonia, and a slew of chefs who are above average, quite talented, and hard-working, but not quite elite.

++++++++++1 3/21 episode: It was actually an update of the Katie Connolly case from 2015. As Dateline went through it, the case came back to me. I know we talked about it here. Katie's been released from prison because her conviction was overturned due to how authorities searched her cell phone. DA has to decide whether or not to try her again. It's been several years. Maybe it's the influence of watching more Dateline and 48 Hours in the intervening years, but it does feel like a stretch for Katie to have killed Mary to get Adam to return to her. Seems rather drastic given the fact they had been on again/off again several times before that. Why not simply wait for that cycle to repeat? Katie worked at the office, but the practice was the Yoder family business. Either Adam or Bob using their access to the building to frame Katie seems more plausible.

I started this season late and am catching up. Amazon has all of the seasons. You have to pay for them, but they're available if you really want them. I have Discovery+ access through Amazon, so that's an option. It's also possible to buy individual episodes. Spring Baking Championship on Amazon

That Tylee suffocated JJ. We and Keith know that's not true because Tylee died before JJ, but even to hear Lori make the claim was disgusting. I typically have no issues with Keith, but he's a journalist of some standing. I know he didn't buy any of her shit, but he still sat there for 90 minutes and entertained her shit. This interview was a strike on Keith Morrison's Dateline career, in my opinion. There was no substance from Lori. That was obvious within the first 9 minutes. His butt should have been walking out the door. ETA: I'm not deeply religious, but I think it would be offensive to anyone who devoutly follows any religion to hear Lori talk about religion in this flippant manner.

IMO, both Keith and Dateline should have ended the interview after about 10 minutes when it was clear Lori was just doing it to seek attention. Keith even alluded to that, and I thought "So why are you giving her a platform?" Walking out of the interview would have pissed her off. What she said about Tylee was disgusting. Arizona shouldn't waste its time either. She now is acting as her own attorney, which means more spewing of her crap. Arizona should simply tell Idaho. "Yeah, we're sure she killed Charles, but you've already got her where she belongs for the rest of her life. Through away the key, and don't waste another second on her." The next time any reporting is done about Lori Vallow should be when she's found dead in prison, either from natural or unnatural causes.

Antonia was the only chef I really had any investment in. This first episode felt slow to me, but maybe that's because I didn't know some of the chefs. I remember Casey being underwhelming last year, too. I thought Tiffani did a great job, but it's a bummer that we got so little of Simon. I wonder if he were seated because it's easier on him? ETA: Salacious Kitty, I read an online article a while ago that Guy has told his kids they will receive no inheritance unless they complete two degrees. If true, maybe Hunter's educational goals have nothing to do with him doing something else?

I don't know many of the qualifying chefs. That's why he's on the show. Guy's like LeBrom. Both men are charitable and philanthropic. In Guy's case, he organized the fundraiser for Shirley, and I'm sure he jumped to take some of the load off Simon so he could still participate on TOC. LeBron has a son named Bronny, who's probably an average basketball player. Wanna guess who drafted him? LeBron and Guy are not likely to let their kids twist as long as the two men are around. It can be debated how good that will be for Hunter and Bronny long term, but that's the choice their fathers have made.

She didn't seem very remorseful during the parole hearing. There's a detachment, an insincerity to her demeanor. She seems unaffected but knows she has to go through the motions, yet that's exactly as it comes across---going through the motions.

Bob stabbing Nima is a stretch for me. Why? I don't buy that Bob would suddenly start stabbing Nima, even if Bob were on drugs. There's no reason for Bob to do that, and I don't think he would just suddenly decide "Hey, I'm going to stab someone right now." He was a frequent drug user and that behavior was not something he ever did before. Even though Nima's motive is a stretch, it's the more plausible of the two men. Bob had no reason to suddenly want to stab Nima. Nima, however, had beef with Bob. Jeremy overhearing the conversation and Kasar's texts to Bob confirm that. It's also typical for a defense attorney to blame someone else, particularly someone who's dead. I think Bob not naming Mina on the 911 call was simply Bob focusing on getting help for himself, like "I need help NOW!" I don't think he was at all focused on the possibility of dying and naming his killer. He was trying to get help...from 911, from the car at the light, from that call box, from anyone. Also, if Nima and Bob were in close quarters, Bob is the only one that has any stab words, and Nima is able to turn the knife without getting any knicks at all. BS. Pure defense attorney BS, IMO.

Tiffani is an excellent mentor when she's been on Beachside Brawl. I think a better role for on TOC would have been mentoring/coaching for the newbie TOCers or the chefs who come in through the qualifying rounds. Rocco's competing, not judging. That should be fun. No Shirley for obvious reasons, but I hope Guy gives viewers an update about her plus a couple of shoutouts. Go Jet and Antonia!

Yes, but if Mima took the knife from his sister's kitchen, that's an act of premeditation and planning. I remember hearing some Dateline case years ago where an attorney said that premeditation and planning don't have to mean planning that's done over days or weeks. Planning can mean hours or even minutes. There was the phone call that Jeremy overheard. The sister's texts even mentioned her brother's reaction. Then Mima offers to give Bob a ride and he's calm and no longer angry? All of that smacks of premeditation to me. And all of the "we were coked out of our minds" talk seems awfully convenient. These people were heavy users. Their tolerance was high. The sister's texts to Bob seemed coherent. Even mortally wounded, Bob was able to walk for a distance, and his 911 call gave the indication he was stabbed but not high on drugs. They were all able to be semi-functional on drugs, so no, I don't think they were coked out of their minds. Mima and Kasae just wanted everyone to think that. I think there was enough premeditation to have found him guilty of first-degree murder.

Way back when the case was first profiled, I seem to recall there NOT being much focus on the daycare as a whole. It certainly sounds like there were issues with that place before Ben's death. In the earlier episode, I also seem to remember Melissa's sister saying the family knew Melissa had some cognitive challenges. I also recall a family member drove her to the police station. I don't think her entire family had a grasp of how to interact with police, and I wondered if her parents might have some intellectual disabilities as well. At the same time, I also feel sorry for Ben's parents. I can see why they are fighting against clemency. The thought of no one being held accountable for their son's death must be difficult to contemplate. I think the environment killed Ben. Both Brenda and Melissa seemed inadequately trained for caring for young children, and it cost Ben his life. I don't think Melissa hurt Ben, but I don't think Ben's parents are bad people for opposing clemency either.

1/18 episode was an update about Melissa Calusinski, the Illinois day-care center worker convicted of murdering a 16 month-old boy. Most of you will remember this case. We've talked about it. She gave a coerced confession to the police after being interrogated without an attorney for nine hours. She's now asking for clemency from the governor of Illinois. This case is sad all around. I believe Melissa's confession was coerced, and she didn't throw Benjamin on the floor. However, the episode said the day care center closed soon after Benjamin's death, and it faced allegations of not being transparent with families about injuries of their children. A worker named Brenda resigned the day after Ben had bumped his head months earlier. Melissa's attorneys argue this earlier injury is what led to Ben's death months later. Ben's parents are opposed to Melissa's petition for clemency. I feel for them. They believe Melissa threw Ben on the floor, but I wonder if their actual feelings are that the day care center caused Ben's death, and someone from there has to be held responsible.